Environmental concerns have become extremely serious. For the sake of a comfortable lifestyle, we have created a convenient and easy living society for ourselves. This, however, has come at the expense of the resources we consume such as imported timber products that contribute to deforestation and with it, changes to the natural environment. Global environmental problems are no longer some distant issue we can deal with later but instead should be regarded as problem that affects our lives directly.

Protecting the Global Environment

Global Warming:The release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, CFC`s and methane into the atmosphere has resulted in predictions of a rise in the average global temperatures. Sea levels are set to rise resulting in the loss of coastlines and island nations, abnormal weather conditions will adversely affect agriculture and there are concerns that our fragile ecosystem will be permanently altered to the point where it may negatively impact our health.

Desertification:Abnormal weather conditions, over use of ground water, overgrazing of arable land and continued deforestation for firewood and charcoal are contributing to desertification and land degradation. Desertification threatens the agricultural industry, the ability to produce cooking charcoal/firewood and there are concerns that deforestation adversely impacts regional climates.

Tropical Deforestation:As a result of developing countries` methods of slash & burn cultivation, excessive use of firewood, overgrazing and commercial logging, a rapid decrease of the world's tropical rainforests is occurring. Tropical deforestation not only affects the industry and infrastructure of developing countries but also causes reductions in wildlife habitats, altered weather conditions and soil erosion problems.

Acid Rain:The burning of oil and coal fossil fuels releases sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere and has resulted in observations of strong acid rain. Acid rain adversely affects the ecosystem causing trees to wither, forests to decline, and ponds and lakes to acidy. Acid rain travels through the atmosphere affecting other countries as well.

Ozone Layer Depletion:The release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) into the atmosphere has seen the depletion of ozone in the Earth's stratosphere. The result of this is higher levels of surface UV light increasing the risk of skin cancer, damaging to agriculture and adversely affecting the Earth's ecosystem and climate.

Other Issue:Endangerment of wildlife species, the international toxic waste trade, the pollution of oceans, pollution from developing countries, the global supply of drinking water and others.